Mission Objective: Protect the Prince
by BookFanatic12
Summary: I - America Singer - hadn't been chosen and had disappeared that very day and never returned. Now I was back seven years later as an agent to protect the Royals who thought I was dead under a new name. This was supposed to be a straightforward mission, but in reality they never are when the heart has anything to do with it. (Rated T to be safe)
1. Chapter 1

The rebels had fallen silent for nearly seven years now.

Although Illéa faced many issues - the threat of civil war was no longer one. It was still unknown to all (including the King), why they had fallen silent the day of the engagement of Prince Maxon and Princess Kriss. But then again, the day of the announcement had been full of danger that many never knew - but America had known. She knew why the rebels had remained silent, she knew what the rebels had planned for that day but she would never tell. To most she was presumed dead or missing - even her family believed that.

But now a new threat had emerged that threatened to kill the royal family. Even though America had not stepped through the gates of the palace in so long, she knew that she had to for their safety.

 **America**

I could remember every detail of the palace, the halls, my room even the gardens. It felt alien to be stepping back into the world of royals. As I sat in the back of the car, I re-read all of the file that I had been given. The new threat had come as a surprise to me, because I had seen to it that the rebels would no longer harm my home.

"Miss Weston! Eadlyn!"

I jumped at the shout of my new name.

"Yes! What is it Andrew?" I replied quickly, placing the file down next to me so I could talk to my assistant.

"We have nearly reached the palace Miss," He informed me, before asking, "Why did you agree to this? I thought the King could never meet you in person?"

"Well the King wasn't listening to my concerns or officers." I replied through gritted teeth.

Even though the King did not know that the Director of the Special Forces was formerly a woman he hated, it felt as if he did know my secret. very few knew my true identity - and I intended to keep it so. I had dyed my hair brown and wore glasses to try and conceal my unique features. I had chosen not to speak to country leaders face to face and sent officers in my place to meetings to keep the organization and myself as secret as possible. Special Forces had been around for nearly 100 years and yet few knew it existed.

Even though there were some who knew who I truly was, no one knew what had happened to me on the day of the announcement. No one knew my story until I had appeared 1 year later. Special Forces had taken me in and turned me into the agent I was today - and I was forever grateful.

As the car pulled to a halt by the gates, I immediately knew that something was wrong. I opened my door - against my assistant's requests - to see that the doors were wide open. No one could be seen anywhere on the front grounds.

Signaling to the support truck behind my own car, I pulled my gun out from it's holster and moved towards the gate.


	2. Chapter 2

I slowly walked towards the open doors with a team of soldiers close behind. My stomach tied in knots as not only was I recounting old memories, but I hadn't been in the field for so long. As I stepped into the halls, I took cover with a good vantage point of the stairs. The soldiers were waiting behind for my signal. With every step I took, I knew that there was a problem.

Luckily I knew that below the stairs there were secret cameras which allowed the guards to see if anyone were in the safe rooms. They had become a feature not long after the King had originally tried to remove me form the Selection. I had been informed of their location shortly before coming to the palace that day. As I ran towards the door and entered a code into the door, I heard movement on the floor above. I tried to focus on the override numbers that I had learnt. I held my breath as the door opened and the noise grew closer. The heavy footsteps came pounding downstairs as the door was clicked shut behind me.

I put my gun back in it's holster and began searching for a light. My fingers traced the cold stone walls until it came to a small switch. As I flicked it, a dim bulb started to flicker. My eyes adjusted to the dim light to reveal thick layers of dust in the small room. It was clear that the room had been vacant for a long time. I turned to see a series of computer screens lining one wall, but they were all turned off. As I turned them on, I saw inside each of the panic rooms. To my horror, they were all filled with guests and servants. As I looked closer, I realised that the Royal Family were not present.

My heart raced as I repeated my search of all of the screens - they weren't there. I turned towards the door and opened it quietly. The halls were empty. I pulled my gun out and ran back towards the door to find the soldiers and my assistant there.

"The Royal Family is not in a panic room. You need to search the entire palace. Any intruders are to be knocked out and brought in for questioning." I ordered quickly.

A small team followed me - along with Andrew - as we went towards the Great Room. As I neared the door I heard a shout coming from inside. The voice sounded familiar and angry. It wasn't one of the royals but someone from my time away from the castle. I motioned for my team to go in first to make sure no one escaped. The shouts grew louder as I waited for the right moment. BANG.

My team ran through the doors and a series of confused shouts could be heard as Andrew and I waited with our guns ready.

"CLEAR!"

I nodded towards Andrew and we both made our way towards the door. As I entered, I remembered all that had taken place in that room. It had been the last place I had seen Maxon, I could still picture the hate in his eyes. I shook my head and focused on the mission. I scanned the room and saw all 6 members of the royal family - and Aspen. The sighed as I saw they did not that they were not hurt, only shaken.

"What is the meaning of this?" The King shouted at me, clearly angered by my groups presence.

I suppressed a laugh as I watched him fail to stand - his hands and feet were both tied.

"Your Majesty, my name is Eadlyn Weston. Director of the Special Forces. I came here for our meeting - but it seems that you had a few uninvited guests."

As I spoke, everyone turned to look at me - except my team who had heard my voice thousands of times. The Royals, Aspen and even the rebel looked at me in amazement - like they saw right through my disguise. I ignored their stares and made my way towards the rebel. He wore a guard's uniform and a piece of red fabric on his forehead. I knew exactly who he was.

"Men, lock him up in the prison. I will speak to him soon." I said in a cool voice.

"You can't order these men around!"

I turned to find Maxon, who had been released from his ropes, standing with an angry look on his face. It reminded me so much of the last time I had seen him, he hadn't wanted to look at me during the after celebration. But here he was and beneath the anger, he looked sad. Like he hadn't been happy for a long time even though he was surrounded by all the people he loved - including his seven year old daughter and four year old son. I walked towards him slowly.

"These are my men Your Highness. I can and will order these men. In fact I have the authority to order the palace guards as well." I said while trying to suppress all of the anger and hurt I felt towards him.

For a moment our eyes met and he seemed shocked - as though I reminded him of someone. Realizing that I could have been revealing myself, I returned to Andrew.

"Andrew take the rest of the men and check the remaining floors. I will remain here with the Royals with Officer Ledger."

As Andrew left with the men I turned to face Aspen and the rest of the group. All of them had been untied and were huddling together. I realised soon that the king had ordered Aspen to get them all seating. Seeing that he was struggling, I went to help him carry the chairs.

"Thank you" he said as I took half of the chairs.

"I thought you could use the help." I smiled; I had missed seeing him over the past seven years.

"No, not for the chairs, for saving us."he replied, "But how did you know my name?"

"I know all of the names of the guards." I shrugged, "But I heard all about you from-"

I stopped myself quickly and began to lay the chairs out for the Royals. Most ignored me, except for Queen Amberly who gave me a grateful smile.

"How did you say you knew this officer?" she asked politely.

Everyone looked at me as they waited for my reply. I knew I had revealed too much.

"From America Singer - I knew her for a short while." I lied.

The reaction for saying that name was incredible. Everyone was different. Some, like the Queen and Kriss, smiled sadly while others, like the King and Maxon, looked at me like I was swearing. I looked towards Aspen, only to see he had turned away. I only realised then that he thought I was dead - it was something only my family had been told. I had never considered what the Royals had been told - if anything.

"Does she speak of him often?" Maxon asked bitterly. I could see he anger in his eyes as I spoke about myself and Aspen.

"She spoke of him once. But she doesn't speak to anyone anymore." I replied quickly as I turned away from him.

"Why not? Does it hurt her to think of what she doesn't have?" He replied sharply.

A hot tear rolled down my cheek. He hated me. He always would after what had happened. I composed myself and turned to face him. I knew what I had to do. I knew I could never return to who I was once I said it. I turned to face him and the rest of the Royals.

"She died five years ago, Maxon."


	3. Chapter 3

Silence. I looked at the family before me and saw a combined look of shock. Even King Clarkson looked saddened by the news of my fake death - which I found quite hard to believe. I held my breath as Queen Amberly began to cry. To see this kind and beautiful woman cry over my apparent death was heart breaking because even after all the Selection had put me through, I still cared for the Queen. Kriss had pulled her oblivious daughter in for a hug, hiding her face in her daughter's brown hair. It surprised me how much grief the family was gong through for my death - I had always believed that they truly hated me.

As turned to look at Maxon. I thought he would be shocked, maybe even slightly glad - but to my amazement a tear was running down his cheek. He didn't speak a word but merely looked at me as though I had slapped him in the face.

"How did she die?" Clarkson asked gruffly.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to say." I replied quickly, averting my gaze.

Suddenly, Maxon's face turned to anger as he shouted:

"Why? Why would you withhold that information from us! We are Royalty and you are nothing but a -"

"Why should I tell you?" I screamed back, losing all self control, " You never even tried to reach out. You left her for dead the minute you chose Kriss!"

All of my emotion poured out. All of the anger that I held back for the last seven years became channelled into my rage towards him. His anger changed to momentary shock before returning to anger again.

"What she did was treason!" he shouted back.

I hadn't noticed quickly enough that Aspen had turned back around. I had been surprised that he was still in the palace after all that had happened but I forgot this when he started walking towards Maxon.

"She was ending it!" Aspen yelled, "She was telling me she chose you! You absolute -"

Quickly, before the two men could try to kill each other, I moved myself between them. As I tried to restrain Aspen, Andrew appeared and held Maxon back. I had never been more thankful for my assistant in my life. He returned a fuming Maxon to his chair before turning back towards me.

"Eadlyn, all rooms have been checked. There is no sign of any other intruders." Andrew informed me, "We have set you up a temporary office in one of the spare rooms"

"Thank you Andrew." I replied as I removed myself from an angered Aspen.

"Your Majesties, it is safe for you to return to your rooms. As a safety precaution, I believe that dinner should be had in your personal quarters tonight and I will make sure that guards are posted outside all of your rooms." I informed the Royals who had now recovered from the news - even Maxon had managed to compose himself.

"Thank you Miss Weston" The King replied curtly, "May you come to my office tomorrow for the meeting that we were supposed to have?"

"I would like that very much." I said and turned to Aspen, "You are not fit to continue today so return to your chambers for the rest of the day."

Aspen quietly agreed as I turned back to my assistant, who was waiting for me by the door. As Andrew escorted me to my new office, I heard angry shouts from the King - who I could only assume thought I was far enough away that I wouldn't hear what he was saying. It must have felt off-putting for someone who you had never met to take charge of everything. I felt bad for a man that I had never trusted or liked.

As we twisted and turned through the halls, many began to feel familiar. It wasn't until we stopped at a door that I realized where we were - my old room. My hand shook as I opened the door. Andrew must have noticed because he gave me a concerned look as I made my way into the room.

It was like stepping into a memory. Nothing had changed.

"This room had been locked but we managed to find someone to unlock it."

Suddenly, I could no longer control my emotions and broke down in tears. After all that I had been through over the last seven years and all that I had tried to forget, I was now back where I didn't want to be. As the hot tears rolled down my cheeks I cursed silently that I had allowed my emotions to take control over me. Thankfully Andrew closed the door and pulled me in for a hug. He held me close as he whispered:

"I'm sorry America. I shouldn't have left you with them."

Andrew knew more than anyone what I had been through. He had helped me so much and had provided much needed support during my time in the Special Forces. He had always been there when I needed him and was the brother I never thought I needed.

It wasn't long before I stopped crying and set up my desk. I intended to spend much of my time in here so I arranged it perfectly. Andrew had brought my small suitcase in that contained many sets of black suits and flats - it had been many years since I had worn a dress or heels. As I began to unpack I saw that the wardrobe was full of clothes. As I inspected them, I realised that many of these were dresses that I had worn before. I questioned why the room had never been touched for seven years - I had been sent away and was hated by the Royals.

Once I had finished I returned to my desk and turned on the computer on my desk. These were still uncommon objects but were necessary for my line of work. I combed through the files I had been given to try and work out what had happened. For the rest of the afternoon I spoke with officers and interrogators to learn what I could about the latest danger and the rebel that had managed to infiltrate the palace. I arranged with Andrew to speak to the rebel in question the following morning as I did not feel I had the energy after all that had happened.

As the afternoon turned to evening, I began to hears shouts in the corridors once again. Although I was at first fearful that it was another attack, I became more relaxed as I realised that the voice was familiar. BANG! My door was thrown open and a raging prince stood there.

"Get OUT!" he shouted.

I did not react and chose to continue to type my report. I would not let him get to me. As I finished my sentence, I turned to look at him.

"Your Highness, I am here to ensure your safety. Why on earth does it matter what room I am stationed in?" I asked politely, keeping eye contact throughout the conversation.

He stormed towards the desk and said through gritted teeth:

"This was America's room."

"Why does that matter to you? You hated her and accused her of treason. Why does it matter that someone else is using the room?" I questioned.

Maxon's face shifted from rage to sadness. I watched carefully as he collapsed into the chair opposite and scanned the room. As I looked at him, I remembered all of the happy memories that we had shared here. I hadn't noticed that Maxon had returned his gaze to me until he spoke.

"I don't hate her Miss Weston... I miss her."

"She told me how you had acted on the day of the Engagement. You never wanted to see her again." I said quietly.

"I didn't for a long time but over the years I have come to quietly miss her - and I'll never ... never see her again." Maxon replied.

Even though there had been days when I had screamed his name in anger and nights when I had cried myself to sleep over losing him, I knew that I had always loved him. I had been the one who had ruined what we had and I had paid the price for that mistake by losing him. I had always believed that he didn't miss me and to hear Maxon say that he did miss me brought me some comfort.

"Maxon, she missed you every day - even after what happened on the Engagement day." I said truthfully, "She went through so much after she left but she never forgot how you had made her happy."

I smiled sadly at him and turned back to the document I was writing. Sensing that he was no longer welcome, Maxon began to leave my room.

"Why did you lock this room away?" I asked just as he reached my door.

Maxon turned back around to face me with a sad smile.

"Even though I was angry, I just hated the idea of anyone else in here. I just wanted to lock that room away and forget about her." he explained.

Once he had left, I stood up from my desk and moved towards my balcony. The cool night air ran through me, making me pull my suit jacket tighter around my waist. I needed to forget about my past and focus on the mission. If I was to save Maxon and his family I needed to forget about who I once was. America had to be dead to me.


	4. Chapter 4

I had woken the next morning lying in the softest bed imaginable. It beat any bed I had had at the Special Forces base. I smiled as I sat up in bed and looked towards the sunrise - as usual my body had woken me up at what I used to refer to as a ridiculous hour. I showered and dressed quickly, while also checking my hair dye as it was due a redo soon because red roots were beginning to show. As I sat down at my computer and focused on the reports from other soldiers, I thought about what Maxon had said the night before... he missed me. I shook my head and carried on until three servants walked in - to my surprise they were Mary, Anne and Lucy.

"Miss, your presence has been requested for breakfast." Mary informed me as they curtsied.

I rolled my eyes at their curtsies and said:

"Please, do not curtsy. I don't like it or need it."I smiled, "I better go then as I don't think the King will take no for an answer."

The girls looked at me oddly as I made my way to the door. As I walked down the many corridors, guards stopped to salute me - even though many knew I didn't like it. I wanted to be their equal, not their boss. I sighed as I made my way to the doors to the dining room and opened them to find the entire royal family waiting for me.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't informed that you requested my presence." I apologized as I made my way to the only available seat - next to the seven year old Princess Madeline.

King Clarkson didn't reply and simply nodded for the food to be served. The meal went by quietly, making me feel very uncomfortable. I considered taking the rest of my meals in my room for the duration of my stay. I had always enjoyed it when I had lived here before and it was useful when trying to stay on top of the ever growing paperwork waiting for me. The only noise that could be heard was of Maxon helping his son cut his food. I had always thought that he would make an amazing father and he seemed to enjoy it. Clarkson gave him hard stares on numerous occasions making it clear that Maxon was nothing like his father. It wasn't until I had nearly finished when the Queen broke the ice.

"Miss Weston, how long have you been with the Special Forces?"

"Around six years now Your Majesty." I replied quickly.

"Well! That is impressive! But before you joined the forces, what kind of life did you lead?" she asked kindly.

"I... I was a five. I lived with my family as a musician." I replied honestly, which was when Maxon looked up at me for the first time during the meal.

"I can't imagine what made you choose the life of a soldier over a musician!" Kriss said from across the table.

"Well, I get fed better and-"

Suddenly, the doors swung open and Andrew made his way towards me carrying a small file. He quickly whispered in my ear and I excused myself to join him in the corridor - much to the horror of the King. As the doors closed I grabbed the file and scanned through it. The file was of the rebel we had apprehended the day before - a man who had seemed familiar to me at first glance. It was really him.

"After all these years we finally found him!" Andrew said excitedly.

I smiled as I looked over the file again. His name was Alexander Luca and he was the one who had set me on my path.

 **Seven Years Ago**

I sat on the stage waiting for the ceremony to begin. I was going to leave and I had lost him forever due to my mistakes. But in the corner of my eye I noticed something suspicious - the guard at the edge of the stage. He wore a Guard's uniform but the name was not correct. As I looked harder at it I recognised the name, it was one of the soldiers who had abandoned his post while I had been at my home for the funeral. I had known that soldier as he had been one of the guards on rotation outside of my room. The man in the uniform was not the same man - he was a rebel.

Excusing myself from the platform, I made my way over to the guard. Asking him politely, I took him out to a nearby corridor. It was there where I kicked him hard and he fell to the ground groaning. I tried to be as elegant as I could bending down in the large dress and looked him in the eye.

"What are rebels doing in the palace?" I asked him angrily.

"Are you really that stupid America?" He laughed through is pain.

It was then when I realised - they were going to kill the royals. I didn't know how many there were but I knew that there wasn't enough for them to be successful in killing everyone. But all of them were armed and dangerous and needed to be stopped before they killed anyone. I thought quickly before saying:

"You'll never win this way. One royal will survive... but I could help you to make an even better plan."

The rebel looked interested and motioned for me to continue. I knew it was risky saying it, after all I was against everything they stood for. But I knew if I could exchange my life for everyone in that hall, I would do anything it took.

"Let me join your cause. I have valuable information, about the royals and your enemies. I'm not going to be the next Princess so let me help you."

The next few minutes were tense as he contemplated my decision. I could only hope that he would agree to what I had planned because I was risking my life to ensure the safety of those who now hated me. I breathed a sigh of relief as he used a small radio to signal to his partners that the plan was off. He looked me up and down as he said:

"Stay quiet for the rest of the day and I will collect you this evening." he informed me, " And if you tell anyone of what you are doing, I will personally kill you."

Brushing off his threats, I focused on the problem with his plan.

"But I'll be leaving after the ceremony." I replied.

"No. Your family couldn't make it today and should be picking you up tomorrow - travel issues."

I nodded as I went to rise up before asking:

"What is your name? Just in case I cannot find you and need help from the others"

"Alexander Luca."

I nodded quietly and returned to my seat on the platform. Maxon had clearly not noticed my absence and continued to laugh with Kriss. As I looked around I saw Celeste who had a questioning look in her eyes. As I did a minuscule shake of the head, she returned with a thin smile. As I looked down, I knew that she only thought I had lost the competition, not my freedom as well. I continued to look around to see anyone I recognised.

"Trying to arrange a meet later?" Maxon asked as I turned back to him. I knew he thought I was looking for Aspen.

"No, of course I wouldn't."

"Well your family will be here to take you home because they don't like the last loser to be alone. She tends to get dramatic."

I knew this was not the Maxon I wanted to remember, always cold and distant. I looked him in the eyes and replied simply:

"My family couldn't make it. I'm being picked up by someone else."

He angrily shook his head and returned to speak with Kriss. I knew there was no point trying to reason with him now the deal was made, I was never going to be his choice. I sat there quietly and wore a fake smile for the rest of the ceremony. He would never know the deal that I had made to protect him from the evil in his kingdom. But I knew that he would be happy with Kriss and I was thankful that she was there for him. I smiled at the knowledge that he would live a long and happy life while my fate had been sealed with the rebels the moment that Maxon bent down on one knee in front of Kriss and asked:

"Kriss Ambers, will you marry me?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Present Day**

To be honest, I was terrified of speaking to Alexander. He had caused me so much physical and mental pain during my time with him that I was shaking from only thinking about it. But here I was, waiting for the door to be opened and for the interrogation to begin. As I sat on a cold metal chair in a small windowless room, I contemplated the idea of asking another officer to do it. But I knew that Alexander was expecting me and I wanted to show all of the men around me just how strong I was.

BUZZ.

The doors swung opened to reveal a chained man still wearing the uniform that we had caught him in. Even though he was a criminal, I made a mental note to find him fresh clothes - I wasn't going to treat anyone like an animal no matter what they had done. I remembered how the palace had treated beggars who had stolen clothes and I had sworn to myself to never sink to Clarkson's level. I kept my eyes on him as he was led to his chair and chained to the table.

He watched me intently until the doors swung shut again behind the guards who had brought him in.

"Hello America." he smiled with a wicked grin.

Taken aback by the question, I countered it with a question that would hopefully move him away from the idea.

"Why do you think I am her?" I asked simply, trying to refrain from giving anything away.

"Because there is no one who has the same piecing eyes." he replied, sending shivers down my spine."Did you really think I wouldn't guess?"

"What are you doing here Alexander? Why would you come here alone and try to do what you failed to do before?" I questioned.

He merely shrugged and laid back in his chair.

"Why would I tell you anything you TRAITOR!" he yelled, leaping from his chair and nearly lifting the table that had been screwed to the floor.

I jumped back and took my gun out of its holster. Pointing it at his head, I said calmly:

"I am no traitor. If you will not give me any information then I will have to call in someone who is far worse than me."

"You tried to destroy us." He said through gritted teeth."But you only made us more determined to kill the man you love."

Before I could continue, five men stormed in and grabbed Alexander before pushing me out of the room. Andrew had been watching on a screen in the next room - without sound - and must of been very concerned to set off the guards. Rolling my eyes, I sent a message to him with the nearest available guard. I planned to spend the day alone - even though I was supposed to be seeing the King. I just didn't feel up to trying to convince him that this was a serious threat and not just a lone attacker. As I walked to my room, I noticed that the door to the Women's Room was open. I stopped to peer my head around the door and saw that it was empty. No one was in there. As I looked around the room that I spent so much time in, I noticed that it wasn't as empty as it had been on first glance.

Lying on one of the sofas, was the Princess Madeline. She was wearing a beautiful day dress that reminded me of ones I had worn. Even though she was the only princess I had met, she seemed to not enjoy wearing the flashier jewelry and dresses that many other girls her age chose when given the opportunity.

"Shouldn't you be studying, your highness?" I asked politely as the young girl suddenly sprung up from the sofa.

"Well... Yes but it's music."She replied with a stunned look on her face.

"Whats wrong with music?" I smiled as I made my way towards her.

Although she had the same hair colour as her mother, her eyes and smile reminded me so much of Maxon. I watched her turn towards the piano to grab a piece of music that was sitting on the stand. To my horror, it was a piece that I had composed during the countless hours of boredom. It had not been my best and was astonished that someone had found it.

"My tutor found it and said I should try."

"It looks very ... complex." I said quickly, as if I was trying to persuade her to leave it.

"I'm a good pianist, actually." She replied cheekily.

She asked me to join her and I agreed - mostly to avoid the paperwork waiting for me. We made our way towards the piano and sat down together. She began to play the piece nicely but it lacked the emotion that I had had when I had wrote. It wasn't long before she gave up and offered me the chance to play it. Although I was afraid that someone might catch me and tell me to do something else, I was aching to play the piano. It had been so long, yet as soon as I put my fingers to the keys, I knew exactly what I was doing. As I began to play, felt a happiness that I hadn't felt in years. My hands glided over the keys with ease as I played the tune that I had wrote so long ago. It was filled with passion and love - with a hint of jealousy. All the feelings I felt towards Maxon during that peaceful time in my life.

I had forgotten that anyone was in the room until Madeline began to clap beside me. Smiling down at her I asked that she play me her favorite piece and soon we were playing songs together, laughing as we went. I had not realised that anyone was watching until I saw four figures at the door. I jumped up in surprise and curtsied to them quickly - it was Maxon, Kriss and Amberly. Behind them, Andrew stood patiently, holding a mountain of folders that I knew had would have to comb through. I saw the amazement in their eyes that had been there the first time I had played for them.

"Mummy! Daddy! Did you hear us playing?" Madeline said as she ran towards her parents with a giggle.

"Yes, it was absolutely beautiful!" Maxon declared as he lifted his daughter high into the air while keeping his eye on me.

I smiled as Madeline giggled at her father's attempts to tickle her. Kriss soon joined in, making me feel suddenly very alone. I almost didn't notice the Queen approach me and smile as she said:

"That was truly incredible!"

I mumbled a reply and smiled sadly as she went to join her family. They were all so happy, because of a choice that I had made. As I looked towards Andrew, I noticed that he had a concerned look on his face. Quietly, I made my way out of the Women's Room and back towards my own. As I sat down at my desk, I noticed a locked drawer tucked to the side. It amazed me that I hadn't seen it before - or that I hadn't even remembered it's existence. As I searched for the keyhole, I saw a small hole near the corner. Trying to remember where I would hide a key I felt under the desk and found a small metal object. As I took it out from it's hiding spot and unlocked the drawer, I felt extremely nervous - what if I didn't like what I was going to find? Inside were all of the letters that Maxon had wrote to me during my time away for my father's funeral. I didn't know why I had chosen to hide them - maybe I had hoped that Maxon would find them. It annoyed me how in my worse mood, the world found a way for it to become even worse. In my self pity while reading through the top letter, I barely noticed that Madeline had appeared at my door.

"Back for more?" I asked as I put the letters back in the drawer.

"Well, you left really quickly. I never got a chance to say thanks "

"Are you supposed to be in lessons?" I asked cheekily seeing the dread spread over her face at the thought of sitting in silence.

"My parents know I'm here, they said no more lessons for the rest of the day!" She said excitedly as she skipped towards me.

Inviting her to sit on my bed, she smiled up at me. As we sat in my bed, I noticed how she straightened her dress to ensure there were no back was as straight as possible with her hands resting in her lap - like a true princess.

"You really don't have to act so proper around me Madeline." I said to her, "I would rather you show me who you are than try to present your perfect princess image to me."

"Really?" She replied skeptically.

"Yeah, when you are with me you can just be a regular seven year old."

"So... You're like my fun aunt?" She asked excitedly.

Even though I was on a mission, I knew that it would be lonely if I didn't have someone to laugh with. It felt like this child didn't always have a chance to be young and fun - especially when her grandfather was around. If being a fake aunt to this child would help her find some fun in her life, then I would do it - no matter what Maxon or Clarkson said.

For the next two hours, I laughed and played with Madeline. I styled her hair in a half-up do, like I used to wear during my time. It had been pulled back in a pony tail to conceal the roots until Madeline had got hold of it and styled it into a beautiful braid. To see the girl happy made all of my stress melt away because it had nothing to do with the Special Forces or Maxon. As we sat on my bed, we talked about what we liked to do and I found she was so much like her father. They shared a love of photography and Madeline talked to me about some of her favourites.

"Look what I found in my father's room" she whispered, "It's Lady America!"

I gasped as I looked at the photo. I had remembered seeing this one in his display when he had shown me his room. I couldn't believe that he still had it. I watched as Madeline talk about what she thought I was like and how she wished she could have met her.

"Do you think she would have liked me?" she asked nervously.

"Absolutely!" I replied as I pulled her in for a hug.

Even though we had barely spent any time together, we had formed a connection that I didn't want to lose. We continued our conversation until a pale Kriss appeared at my door. Madeline didn't seem to notice as she walked towards her mother, but I could see there was something wrong. I barely got a chance to say goodbye before the royals left the room and I returned to the abandoned paper work from this morning.

I tried to recount all that Alexander had said and it didn't make sense. Why would he do this? What possible advantage did they have to gain? How did he get back into the palace?

The questions swirled around my head like a storm until I gave up for the evening. I continued to work through the paperwork, when Anne walked in. It felt as if I would never be alone for two minutes ever again.

"Yes?" I asked irritably, not realizing who it was.

"Ahh... Sorry, is this a bad time?" she asked cautiously, sensing my mood.

"What? No. Sorry. What can I do for you?"

"It's just I was sent to inform you that you have a meeting with the King tomorrow because you failed to turn up today." she replied simply, "Their words not mine."

"I will try to attend." I assured her as she promptly left again.

I put my head on the table and it felt like I would never be able to raise it again. Without realizing, my eyes closed and didn't open again till the following morning. Little did I know just how much more stressed I would be before the day was done.


	6. Chapter 6

Groggily, I slowly lifted me head from the table, while removing a sheet that was clinging to my face and in the process lost my glasses, which dropped onto the table. I had been at the palace two days and I was already overtired. As I sat up I noticed that someone was in my room. I could tell at that moment because my eyes had betrayed me and refused to focus on anything, leaving me in a sea of blurred colours. Rubbing my eyes hard, the blurred smudge formed into Lucy. I caught her smiling at me, before she noticed and turned back to her work.

"Afraid I'll bite?" I joked as I stood up and stretched.

"N-No Miss Weston. I-I-" She stuttered as she tried to fix imaginary wrinkles on my bed sheets.

Concerned, I moved towards her carefully. It broke me to see my maid and friend so frightened and upset. I wondered what on Earth it could be about - the rebel attack, a fight or maybe something much more serious.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" I asked seriously before adding, "And do not say it is nothing. I won't get you into any trouble."

It was many minutes before she responded - as if she was calculating whether it was a smart decision.

"It's just - the rebels." She confessed quietly, staring at the floor, "We haven't had an attack in so long and -"

"I understand Lucy, I really do. If you ever need anyone to turn to, I'm always here." I smiled while I squeezed her shoulder.

She nodded her head carefully as I moved away towards my wardrobe because it occurred to me that I was acting too much like America instead of a woman who didn't really know her. Even though I now preferred to dress alone, I hurriedly threw my glasses onto the bed and pulled off my shirt to change into a new one as I was late for my meeting - which was becoming all too common. Lucy had also noticed my urgency and quickly pulled out a simple collared shirt and suit jacket to go with a pair of heels and smart black trousers. I hoped that there was no rebel attack today, as my days of running in heels were truly over. As Lucy turned to pass me my shirt, she froze. I followed her eye-line to find that she was focusing on my right arm - where my scar was. I stood still as she came closer to inspect the scar that I had earned during my time in the Selection. My heart beat faster as recognition became eminent on her face, it was a very distinctive scar and - although it had been sewed up well by Anne - it was prominent when you were close to me. I turned to face her slowly and she looked into my eyes silently.

"America?" she asked quietly, her eyes full with disbelief.

My expression must have given the answer away because slowly a wide smile grew on her small face and she pulled me into a tight hug. She knew.

Without out my glasses, my features were truly recognizable and it became scarier to think that someone could guess who I was so easily when I didn't have my glasses on. It hadn't come as a surprise that she had recognised the scar either as she had seen it countless times during my time. Still in a state of shock I hugged her back and started to sob with her. I had hidden the truth to protect all of the ones I loved but to have someone know that I was alive - it was a truly amazing feeling.

When we finally calmed down, my happiness turned to worry as I realised the dangers that she now faced knowing my deadly secret.

"Lucy, go and find my assistant Andrew." I informed her quickly, looking around to make sure that no one was here, "He will make sure to put the right precautions in place now that you know."

"Is it really that dangerous to know?" she asked, wide eyed.

"Yes - but I'm so glad you know!" I replied with a sad smile as I pulled her in for another time.

However, it was at this moment when Maxon knocked on my open door. I suddenly felt very exposed and rushed behind the nearest screen to finish changing. While hiding behind the thin sheet, I listened to Lucy calmly speaking to the Prince. It surprised me just how good she was at lying now - her past attempts hadn't always been as successful. While I put on the new jacket, I wondered what had changed during my time away to my maids and Aspen. As I emerged, both of them turned to face me. As predicted, Maxon had a face like thunder - which seemed to be a common theme when he was with Eadlyn - but it had also occurred to me that I was late for an already rescheduled meeting - with the King who didn't like waiting. As I straightened the jacket, I apologized quickly and made my way towards the door. Maxon remained silent throughout most of the trip towards the office until I tried to break the ice - although it had occurred to me that I hadn't spoken to him since he had stormed into my room on my first night.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?" I asked as I stopped him - which clearly agitated him.

"Nothing. You are just late and Father is annoyed." he replied bluntly before trying to continue.

"It isn't...Is this because of my friendship with your daughter or America or-"

"No. It's just -" He paused to look at me, as if he was trying to form a good answer. "Ever since you have arrived, there have been problems in this family regarding the rebels and - well other matters."

Fury rose inside of me at his comment. I became so frustrated that he blamed everything on me and never on someone else. I was here to protect him, yet he proclaimed that I did more harm than good!

"That isn't my fault Maxon!" I gasped as I realised that I had called Maxon by his first name and not by his title. "I am so so-"

"It's fine." he said quietly, "I actually like that you treat me like an actual human, rather than a royal. I also never did thank you for befriending Madeline - she really does like you."

I smiled at him - and got a smile in return - as I motioned for us to continue down the hall to the doors that lead to King Clarkson's office. The ever present knot tightened in my stomach again as the guards opened the doors for us to enter. As I walked through, I noticed that Maxon had stood up even straighter and his smile had disappeared. For all I had done to ensure that Maxon was protected, I always knew that he was in constant danger of his father. I looked towards Clarkson, who was leaning back in his chair as he motioned for us to approach. I carefully sat down on the edge of the chair, fearing what could happen with this unpredictable man. It seemed incredible to me that even after all I had faced - Alexander included - I still felt nervous when I was with the King.

"Well Miss Weston, you have decided to grace us with your presence." The King said , with a hint of annoyance detectable.

"I'm sorry Your Majesty, there were many preparations to sort out in order to make the palace safer." I replied calmly, looking him straight in the eye.

"Are you implying that _my_ castle isn't safe?" He asked, with an anger in his eye.

In my head I wondered how, after being tied up and held at gunpoint, the King could lie about the safety of his castle. This man would put his whole family in danger just to ensure that the public image remained strong. I could see that Maxon had become weary of the situation and looked at me intently. I could only guess that he was asking me silently to not screw this up. I drew a breath, calculating my next move.

"Your Majesty, you had you first rebel attack in over seven years by a dangerous man who could have killed you. I needed to ensure that he couldn't do this again, even though he has done this before." I answered, before cursing silently for revealing Alexander's past in the castle.

"What on Earth do you mean by that?" the King asked, anger glowing in his eyes.

"The rebel that attacked you is a known Southern Rebel to us. He has posed as a guard before - at Maxon's engagement celebration." I paused to allow them to come to terms with what I had said as I could see the disbelief in their eyes.

"Then why did they not attack then?" Maxon asked as he looked between his father and myself.

I realised then that by telling them the truth, I would be at risk of revealing Special Forces' secrets. I did not trust Clarkson at all and by giving him classified information, I knew that he would become even more power mad than he already was.

"Classified." I replied bluntly, while also giving both men a glare that signified to not try any further.

"Whatever the case, I will need to ensure the palace is secure this evening for the ball." The King said simply, looking me directly in the eye.

I sat in shock. This was the first time I had heard of this and I was supposed to be informed of all gatherings when I arrived - Andrew was not going to hear the end of this. A party was not a good plan and I planned to stop it. As the meeting continued, I felt like I was in a game of tennis. I would suggest cancelling it or changing things but Clarkson would return with trying to force his opinions on me. After two hours of this continual battle, we finally reached an agreement. I would have to attend to ensure the royal's safety - much to my annoyance - and in return additional guards would be posted and all guards would be checked to make sure there were no unwanted visitors.

After this, I escaped the office and made my way back down the corridor. Following in close pursuit was Maxon, who quickly caught up and stopped me in my tracks. It was clear to me that he was not finished on the subject of Alexander. He had been silent during the meeting but I had noticed just how agitated he had been after I had closed the subject.

"Why won't you tell me what happened with the rebel?" he asked angrily as he looked me in the eye.

Hiding a secret from Clarkson was one thing, but I found it much harder to try and hide it from Maxon. He deserved to be trusted if I was going to have a good working relationship with him when he was king - whenever that was seeing as Clarkson was clinging to the throne with everything he had. Looking behind me, I pulled him into a side corridor where we were alone.

"I can't Maxon, it's a state secret!" I whispered urgently as I searched the corridor.

"Please, can't you tell me anything?" he pleaded.

As I took a breath, I calculated this decision slowly. Even though I wasn't prepared to tell him much, I felt like he should know at least one thing.

"America. She managed to convince them not to." I whispered, as I watched shock spread across his features. "I can't reveal any more than that. But when you become King, I will. I promise."

It annoyed me that I couldn't trust him enough and I was leaving him with so many questions, but I hoped that it would change his hateful opinion of me. I had to make sure that he never knew more than that because I was more afraid of what he might do if he realised what I had suffered in order for him to survive - though after promising him more i doubted how well I could fake a cover story. Reaching down I gave his hand a quick squeeze to comfort him before I marched back down the corridor to find Lucy. I turned back to see that he was watching me and it was at this moment I knew that we weren't done with this conversation.

Upon reaching my room, I saw that Lucy and Madeline were inside, giggling away uncontrollably on my bedspread. I smiled as I leaned on my door frame, watching them talk about everything. I had always admired Lucy's way with children and I knew that she was a future mother. But while I wondered about her future, I thought about her connection with Aspen. I desperately wanted to know whether they had ever progressed or if they had chosen to stay apart. In my heart, I hoped that they hadn't as I knew how amazing they could be together. I also remembered that she had gone to see Andrew this morning - which now meant I terrified of his response as he was never happy when someone new found out about my secret double life.

Noticing that I was standing watching, Lucy turned very red and jumped off my bed. Madeline had also turned around and as soon as she realised it was me, ran towards me to give me a hug - which nearly knocked me over.

"Are you going to the ball?" Madeline asked excitedly, bouncing up and down as she spoke.

"It seems I am." I grimaced as I looked to Lucy, "Could you help?"

"With pleasure." Lucy replied, with a wide smile on her face as she walked towards me and guided me to my chair, "I'll make you as beautiful as the Queen."

For the next hour, I was in a chair having my hair elegantly styled into an updo while Anne and Mary gave me simple makeup and jewellry. But before they had come in, I had put in green contacts to make me look different to avoid people at the ball - and my other maids - recognizing me as Lucy had insisted I was not allowed to wear my glasses. It wasn't until I stood in-front of my mirror that I realised how different I looked in one of my old red dresses. But even though I wasn't pleased about the situation I knew one thing, even though I was more nervous about facing this crowd than one hundred armies, I was ready.


	7. Chapter 7

**Seven Years Ago**

I hated Alexander. Not only for being a Southern Rebel who wanted to kill us but for also making me stay to see their happiness. I had no clue what he was planning on doing with me but all I knew was that I may never see my family again.

I stood in my room, packing the few things I had to be sent home - as I didn't plan on taking them with me to whatever Hell Alexander called home. I looked to my desk to find the letters that Maxon had given me not so long ago - yet it felt like a lifetime now. A tear fell down my cheek as I read the letters, all the beautiful words he had written meant nothing now. I cursed as I remembered his happiness as he had proposed to Kriss an hour ago - something I had caused. Knowing that the letters would make me depressed, I hid them away in a secret compartment in my desk that I had only found not long ago. My hands shook as I hid the key, even though people would probably use this room after me, I didn't want to give them to Maxon as I knew he would rip them up.

After having a final look around the room that I had called my own for so long, I picked up my bag and made my way towards the door dressed in my jeans and shirt. However, on my way to the door, I was stopped by the four people that I really didn't want to see. The Royals. Focusing on the ground, i tried to ignore them until a smiling Clarkson called.

"Leaving so soon America?"

I slowly turned around, pulling a fake smile onto my face. I knew that I would lose it if I spotted Maxon, so I focused all of my attention onto the King.

I tried to think of a lie to cover up my true intentions. Although I was supposed to have my family here, they had been stuck at the airport so they were not here to console me. Luckily, Alexander had caught up with me when I had left the Great Hall to tell me the plan. I would pretend to leave and then spend the rest of the day downstairs.

"Yes, although my family isn't here I assumed there would be a car to take me back." I replied quickly, trying not to notice the wicked grin Clarkson had on his face to signify his victory.

I tried to keep all of my focus on the king to avoid the stares from the rest of the Royals. I didn't want to look at the happiness that I had created from my own stupidity and sadness. Before Clarkson could reply a call came from behind me. I turned quickly to find Alexander, who was now sporting a black suit instead of the guard uniform. He smiled as he approached me and pulled me in for a hug as he said:

"Follow my lead."

He then kept me in a lose embrace as he turned to the Royals with a fake smile pinned to his face.

"Your Majesties, I am so happy for you! I am sorry to interrupt but America is going to have to stay longer as our car has broken down." he lied smoothly.

It was clear to me that Maxon was shocked by this news - as I had just told him I was leaving alone. He had just been convinced that I was in love with Aspen and now to see me in the arms of yet another man would be confusing to anyone.

"I'm going with you?" I squeaked with excitement to hide my fear.

I hoped that Alexander would make it seem that we weren't lovers as I would be arrested for treason on the spot by a King who would do anything to see me suffer.

"Of course cousin, why would I let you travel alone?" he smiled in return with a wicked glint in his eye.

The King was clearly startled by the news but covered it quickly as he spoke:

"Well, I'm sure you can join the party downstairs until a new car can be delivered."

The knot in my stomach tightened as I watched how unsettled Maxon was with this news. I remained silent as Alexander thanked them and told me to put a dress on. Shaking, I moved back past the Royals into my old room where it was silent. I fell back against the door, breathing rapidly as my brain tried to comprehend what I had just done. I had lied to them with a rebel by my side - what the hell kind of person was I turning into?

I chose a simple blue dress and put simple make up on which made me seem like I was put together while my insides were a mess. I truly detested the idea of going to an event where everyone would only see me as the girl who lost the prince. Taking a deep breath in, I opened my door - to find Maxon standing there, leaning against the door frame. I jumped back in shock as he was the last person I expected to see standing there.

"Don't go with him."

The command took me by surprise - why would he even care?

"America are you even listening to me?" Maxon continued, annoyed at my lack of response.

"Shouldn't you be with your fiance, Your Highness?" I replied, avoiding all eye contact while simultaneously trying to find an escape route.

But it seemed that it wasn't the lack of eye contact that was bothering Maxon, it was the title I called him by. I hadn't said that to him in a long time and now for me, who had proclaimed their love to them not long ago, to be calling him that, I hoped it would send him a sign that I wanted to be left alone. But it seemed my attempt was for nothing as Maxon reached up to cup my cheek, as though he didn't remember the events of this morning. I quickly backed away, like he was poison to me. My heart beat faster as I finally looked up into his eyes that were filled with heart break.

"America, you have never once told me about a cousin! You are putting yourself in danger!" Maxon shouted angrily, which seemed strange to me as he wouldn't care about my fate after what I had done. "If anything happened to you -"

"You made your choice, Your Highness." I said as I tried to hold back the tears. "You didn't want me in your sight two hours ago and now you suddenly care? I'm sorry, but you made this choice. You don't want me, you want Kriss."

As we stood there, I saw Maxon's heart break. It seemed that after all of the anger from this morning, he didn't want to give up on us even though we couldn't be us anymore.

"America, I-" he started as he began to move towards me.

"Stop." I commanded, looking him directly in the eye, "Please, you chose Kriss - not me."

It seemed like repeating his choice to him was to only way to make him see that we were truly over. I went to walk past him but he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me close so that our faces were nearly touching. I could feel his hot breath on my face as I maintained eye contact with him. I tried to remain strong and diffuse the situation as Maxon was clearly confused - why would he want to be near me otherwise?

"It's over Your Highness. You believed our love wasn't real and you hate me-"

Before I could finish that sentence, I found Maxon's lips on mine. I didn't respond at first but my heart soon over took all logic and I returned the kiss. It was unlike any other kiss we had ever shared. This was full of anger and frustration when we had only kissed out of happiness in a time long ago. As we kissed my head took back control over my sense again and I forced myself away from him.

"I will never hate you America." he said quietly with a tear forming in his eye.

"Then you will never be able to move on." I replied sadly.

I knew that he would try to check in on me while he still had these feelings towards me. But this put him in danger and I knew that the Southern Rebels would use this to their advantage. Knowing what I had to to I walked towards my door, opened it slowly and looked back towards the man I loved.

"I hate you Maxon Schreave. I always will."

With that I left the room, never to return.

 **Present Day**

It was hot and noisy in the Great Hall. I had forgotten just how hectic these things could be! Even though the ball was themed around the stars, I felt like I was drowning. I never would be able to understand how I had enjoyed these during my stay. Annoyingly, I hadn't been given an attendance list and had sent Andrew to get one - who clearly had wanted to get out of the hall.

As I looked around, I vaguely recognised some of the girls who had attended but I couldn't remember their names. Some seemed so familiar but my memory of the other contestants had faded during my time away. It seemed that I could remember events but not always the people's faces. I sipped my drink as I skirted the hall, avoiding all eye contact and checking that guards were in position. The chandelier glittered above me and shone like the moon. I couldn't fault the designers, it was beautiful.

Suddenly Andrew sprung up behind me, holding a brown folder. Without saying anything, he gave me the folder and backed away into the corner to work on keeping the area secure. I was thankful that I had the lists now, I may have been able to work out why they were holding the ball in the first place. Spotting a vacant seat, I walked towards it - crashing into a girl on my path.

"I'm so sorry!" I apologized as I backed away from the girl, without looking up.

"Just watch where your going." The girl snapped - though her voice sounded familiar.

I snuck a look up and was horrified at who I saw - Celeste. It seemed that she had become more rebellious and styled a pixie cut. But this was not what annoyed me, it was her attitude. She looked at me like I was dirt and it hurt to see that she had become the person I hated again. I chose not to respond and continued on my path towards my savior - the chair.

Just before I could sink down into the soft cushions a voice called out for all to stand. The Royals had finally decided to make their entrance after I had been there for over an hour already. They all seemed so elegant in their gowns and suits – even young Madeline looked lovely in an age appropriate dress. I smiled as I watched her take a chair next to her mother – who still seemed very pale under her makeup. On the other hand, Maxon looked like he hadn't slept in days. I cursed myself for telling him that piece of information earlier – all that had happened on that fateful day must have fallen into place for him.

I kept quiet as the King stood to make a speech. Everyone looked at him as he cleared his throat and scanned the room. We made eye contact for only a minute before he moved away.

"Welcome all to this reunion today. I would like to thank all of the former Selection participants for travelling to join us to mark the 7th anniversary of the Prince and Princess' marriage!"

 _That was today? Brilliant time to make Maxon depressed America!_ I thought to myself as I listened on.

But it also occurred to me who the guests were and why the King had wanted to throw the party – meaning I had no use for the lists and no reason to sit alone during the celebration which had now become extremely awkward for me.

"But unfortunately, this day of happiness has been tainted with distressing news."

 _Crap. Please don't let this be about the rebels_! Worriedly, I tried to signal to the King to stop talking, but it was no use.

"We received news a few days ago which I feel we must share with you all. The former Lady America died five years ago. We as a family were shocked by her sudden departure and hope you will join us in wishing her family well."

I stood in shock as I recounted what had just happened. The King had announced my death publicly without consulting me – the one who had told him of my fake death! All around me, I heard the gasps and cries from many of the girls around me. I looked towards Celeste to see her crying. Behind me I heard a sob that sounded all too familiar. Turning quickly, I turned to find Marlee standing with a tray. I stood still in shock - she was till living at the palace? It hadn't occurred to me that she had never been told as I assumed that Aspen would have informed her- but clearly Aspen had changed more than I realised. I wanted to hug her but I would have been a stranger so I refrained from doing it. Looking back towards the Royals, it was very clear that none of them had expected this either. I could not describe how much effort it took for me not to run to the stage and strangle Clarkson at that Clarkson continued on, it was obvious that no one was in a partying mood. The King must have sensed the sombre tone because he invited Amberly to join him in a dance. As they twirled around the floor, many couples joined them and soon the audience's interest had turned away from my death – thankfully.

My keen eye soon noticed that Maxon was not on the dance floor and was instead going towards the door behind me. Nervously. I followed him as I was unaware of his intentions. But he moved to quickly and I soon lost track of him in the never-ending maze of corridors. I stopped to fix my dress, which I kept stepping on, and heard sobs coming from around the corridor. I approached quietly, to find Maxon curled up against the wall sobbing.

Without thinking, I sat down next to him and put my arm around him. He froze under my touch until we made eye contact. I didn't know why he was crying: but all I knew was that the Prince didn't just cry over anything. We sat on the floor together until Maxon's breathing slowed and I moved away to give him some room. We had seemed to reach an understanding that we were friends that had joined together over the loss of my former self.

I couldn't comprehend why he was crying but he seemed to sense that I wanted to ask.

"I should have chosen her." he gulped, "Maybe she wouldn't be dead now if I had ignored my pride."

"I don't blame you for choosing Kriss, you thought your relationship was fake." I replied, looking at him sadly. "But she chose to go to protect you."

Maxon looked at me with a confused look. It seemed that he truly believed that "America" hated him and to hear me say that I had chose to protect him after saying this was bound to be a shock.

"Tell me what happened to her."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi all!**

 **I am really sorry for not uploading for over two months but I am back! Between suffering from a case of writer's block, I also wasn't at home for the entire of July in a place with no internet connection!**

 **But I am back! Thank you for your continued support x**

* * *

"His name is Alexander Luca. A known Southern Rebel and the man who attacked you the other day."

It was now 3 o'clock in the morning and I was telling Maxon the truth - well most of it. Once Maxon had reclaimed his composure, I had convinced him to return to the ball for a few hours. I had watched him - with a slight hint of jealousy - twirl around the floor with Kriss in his arms. They had seemed so perfect. Kriss had become a great Princess and would lead the country well once Clarkson died - there was no way that he would step down willingly.

While the guests had laughed and drank, I had found a comfy chair where I could watch the events without having to get involved. This plan had proved successful up until the point where I had been invited to dance. Hastily, I had declined the offer and escaped, leaving the guards to watch over the celebration. After it had been announced that the guests were Selection Members, I had felt more out of place even though I was one of them.

At 12 o'clock in the morning, I had been typing away at my computer, when a light knocking could be heard. Calling for whoever it was to enter, I had looked up to find a nervous Maxon. He wanted to know and I was prepared to tell him.

But as he sat there looking at the photo, realization dawned on his face. He recognized Alexander. I sat back in my chair, while scanning the documents I held for relative information to avoid having to sit in the silence.

"He was there. At the engagement."

"Yes." I replied simply. "It is his last known location until now as he is a very hard man to track down - even with the information provided by America."

"So she escaped?" He asked.

"As far as we can tell." This gave me a questioning look from Maxon. "We don't know what happened to her. She just came out of that experience a changed woman."

"And I caused it."

It was at this point that I realized just how much blame we were putting on ourselves for the tragedy of our romance. My throat seized as I tried to restrain myself from becoming too emotional. Falling apart in front of the prince was not an option I had the luxury of having. But while I tried to restrain myself, I was simultaneously cursing because I could have avoided all of this by just staying at the base. I hadn't been forced to come here but rather I had volunteered because I was worried about _him._ If I was being truthful then I had never stopped caring for him no matter what my struggles were.

I looked back to Maxon and realized the time. I needed rest and I could only hope that he tried to sleep - I had noticed the dark circles ever since I had arrived which gave me the sign that sleeping was still an issue for him. I asked the prince to leave, much to his dismay, with promises that I would finish the conversation soon. I also made a mental note that I needed to get the idea that everything to do with me was caused by him - I didn't want the rest of his life to be a misery.

But even after Maxon had departed, I still didn't sleep. My job required me to finalize so much that sleep was not an option for me. I could have gone to sleep earlier if it had not been for the fact that Andrew had evilly given me more papers to sign sneakily while I had been out.

Just before I started the work, I logged onto my computer. I had seen everyone's amazement when I had had it brought in - because it was one of the only computers in existence. I checked the security cameras - and clicked on the prison cameras. I then clicked on the only cell that was occupied - Alexander's. I watched as he stalked round his cell like an animal. It occurred to me that he had never been confined to a small area for this long. In the time I had known him, he had always been on the move. He had traveled all over Illéa trying to encourage more to join his cause. Just as I was about to turn off the screen, Alexander stopped and looked towards the camera. I sat frozen as he stared directly at me - as if he knew I was watching him. I quickly turned off the screen before harsh memories of our time together could haunt me. I would have to face him again soon - just not quite yet.

The next morning brought new challenges. I had meetings with about fifteen different members of security and the King had also made an appearance to try and force information out of me. But the moment that had caught my attention was when Aspen entered my chambers.

"I thought I had asked to speak to your General?" I asked without looking at him.

"I want to be part of your force." This did not seem like a request and more like an order.

"You can't." I said bluntly without looking up from my report - which happened to be for the ball.

"Then how can I apply?" It became clear to me that he wouldn't give up easily.

I turned slowly in my chair to face him, only to be greeted with an irritated Aspen. I looked him straight in the eye - which was hard to do considering that I was sitting and he was standing.

"Each member of my Elites are sent to find someone who is willing to join and then I approve their choice. There is no way that I will approve you." I said bluntly - trying to keep a straight face.

Although Aspen tried to hide it from me, I could tell that he was angry with my statement. A sudden wave of guilt went through me but I knew it was for the best that I stayed away from anyone from my past. Sensing that he was about to burst, I quickly clarified my statement.

"I promised America I would keep you safe."

It was as though America was my solution for any problem I faced. It wasn't that I didn't believe that Aspen wasn't good enough for the job - he had been recommended several times over the years - I just didn't want him to be with me. I wanted nothing to do with my past - even though I was currently facing every ghost I knew. It may have seemed selfish to everyone else, but I didn't care. I looked back down at my reports again to avoid eye contact with Aspen. But it seemed that he didn't believe we were finished. Before I could say anything to him, Andrew beat me to it.

"Back to your station soldier." he called in a strict tone.

I silently smiled to myself. Andrew knew all of the stories, so he knew exactly what every person I knew meant to me so it didn't surprise me that he spoke to Aspen like that. He had always held a slight dislike for my former flame after all that I had told him. But Andrew wasn't the type of man to ever show his dislike - he was too professional for that. I listened to Aspen move - only to stop when he saw Lucy.

Wondering what was taking so long, I looked to see them staring at each other in shock. It was clear to me that they hadn't seen each other in a long time and there now seemed to be a awkward atmosphere in the room. I became annoyed at the lack of knowledge on what had happened between them. The unknown past of my former friends was becoming much more of an issue for me on determining how best to go in a situation. But before I could say anything, Aspen had broken the stare and continued on his way out of the room. Lucy seemed very distressed by what had happened which meant that I let her leave - seeing as she didn't want to cry in front of two strangers.

"This isn't good for you." Andrew warned, "I warned you not to come!"

"AND WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO ANDREW!?" I screamed back, losing all self control.

All of the pain from watching Lucy cry, Aspen so angry and the transformation of Maxon hit me like a wall. I had wanted to ensure their safety ever since I had left Luca's grasp. When I had seen them for the first time after all of my suffering I had wanted to call and tell them how much I missed them - but I hadn't. I had erased all of who I was to make sure that Alexander couldn't find me - yet that had clearly failed. All of my mental preparation had failed the minute that I had arrived through the intricate metal gates.

But even though I was feeling all of this emotion, I was unfairly targeting Andrew just because he had happened to say something at the wrong moment. He had always tried to make sure I had never been put in an uncomfortable situation and he had argued for days trying to convince me not to come.

Taking a breath, I apologized to my assistant and focused back on my reports. But Andrew continued to stand there.

"What do you want?" I asked quietly.

"Maxon wants to go on a trip - to see your family."

I had no words. It was as if Andrew had come up to me and slapped me in the face. Questions ran through my mind faster than I could answer them. Why?

After that I couldn't continue to work on the stupid reports. I needed to find out Maxon's intentions.

I quickly stood up and made my way towards the entrance, where Maxon and his family stood. Clarkson was clearly unhappy about the situation as well as it was the only time he had seemed glad to see me.

"Miss Eadlyn! I am so pleased that you were able to come and stop my son from going."

"I will not be deterred Father." Maxon replied strongly - to the amazement of most who were present.

"Then I'll go with him."

The happy look that Clarkson wore was quickly replaced with his usual scowl. Realizing that the rest of the family was also looking at me, I tried to explain myself.

"I need to go out of the borders to speak to my soldiers. I will escort your son to his destination."

It seemed odd for me to suggest that I would leave with Maxon to visit my family - who also thought I was dead. But to be honest, I wanted to see them! I hadn't seen them for 7 years which had been one of the hardest part of this experience. I had had one of my men check on them regularly so I knew where everyone had got to in their lives. But even though I knew what had happened to them, I had never had the courage to visit myself. But now I had this opportunity, I finally felt strong enough to actually do it. I also wanted to find out why Maxon wanted to visit my family.

After a while,I finally managed to convince Clarkson that it was a good idea - this did involve saying how much it would improve Maxon's public image to be seen visiting a family in Illéa. I tried to hide my annoyance but was glad that it worked. Soon, I had arranged for armed guards and vehicles to escort us to the border of the house - Maxon had fitted it with security before he had gifted it to me - and then myself and Maxon would visit my family.

As I sat down next to Maxon in the car, my stomach knotted a thousand times over. As I looked towards Maxon, he had turned white and was staying extremely quiet as he stared out of the window. I could tell that he was scared but I was beyond scared.

I was going home.


	9. Chapter 9

It is a strange feeling to drive to your family who think you are dead.

I had been in many situations where I had to make life or death situations, times when I had nearly lost my life and even been shot - but nothing was as terrifying as this. Being trapped in a car with the man I used to love was the hardest thing I had ever done. I had played similar situations over in my head when I had first left with Alexander. I had dreamed about me falling back into his arms - even though he hated me. But at times it was the only thing that had kept me sane - the hope of seeing him again. But now I was with him, all I wanted to do was escape.

As I looked over to him, he looked terrified. He kept running his hands through his blonde hair, as though it was constantly in his eyes. He couldn't sit still for more than two minutes - which was starting to concern me.

"Your Highness, when was the last time you saw the Singers?" I asked quietly, trying my hardest not to make eye contact.

"Not since before America left. I didn't even see them on the Engagement day since they didn't come and get her. Have you ever met them?"

"Not...personally. But America often talked about them before she passed." I lied, but with each lie it was getting harder to keep up this falsehood.

As we headed closer to the gate, I saw the warm yellow colour that had drawn my eye when I had seen the photograph all those years ago. It seemed like such a happy place but I knew that there was a darkness lurking. As the gates swung open it suddenly occurred to me that I didn't know why my family had chosen to move - or even how they knew about the house when I was sure only myself and Maxon had known. As we edged nearer, my stomach started knotting into a thousand knots, getting tighter the closer we got to the door. As we slowed to a halt, I noticed that the door had opened and a woman had appeared - my mother.

Taking one final look over at Maxon, I opened the door and climbed out slowly - fearing that my legs would give way. I looked towards my mother and saw that she had more grey streaks in her hair than I remembered. She appeared more hunched over, as though all of the world's problems laid on her back alone. She wore a look of concern - which came as no surprise considering the amount of guards that had arrived in a very short space of time.

As I stood by the car, I felt a breeze that felt like it went right through me as if I was a ghost. I felt like I didn't belong here, that it was all an illusion. I had lived my life as a different person for so long now that it was as though America was the character I had played. I watched carefully as Maxon climbed out of the car with a serious expression. In that moment I knew that he was terrified - even more than me. So much had happened between us that if I had had to be the one to see his parents after he had died, I would not have even known where to begin.

Maxon and I looked at each other, as though we were mentally preparing each other for what was about to happen. Suddenly, our silent stares were broken by a female voice.

"Maxon?"

We both turned towards the origin of the voice and to our surprise, there was a young woman standing there with a confused look on her face. Even though I couldn't work out who she was, something seemed so familiar about her. The woman looked at me with a shocked look, she open her moth to say something when-

"May! That is not how you address the prince!" my mother called as she walked swiftly towards us.

When she had caught up with May, she curtsied while also pulling my sister down with her. I looked towards Maxon, who simultaneously had a face of confusion and embarrassment. I thought quickly to resolve the awkward situation we had landed in before saying:

"I believe it's best if we get in before any reporters catch wind of the Prince's location."

Luckily, my mother agreed and hassled us both into the door. As we walked, I looked over to May who looked scarily like me at that age - with a short haircut. But to my surprise, she appeared to have lost all of her joy and excitement that she had had from we stepped into the house, I stopped in amazement. The house was beautiful and I could imagine how much fun they must have had running in the wide open corridors. Mom took us through into the living room, where the rest of the family had gathered. Unfortunately, all eyes were drawn towards me.

"Miss, do...do we know you from somewhere?" asked my sister Kenna, who had risen from her chair to get a closer look.

As she neared me, I could see tears forming in her eyes, as if she could see through my disguise. I desperately wanted to tell them all the truth and wrap my arms around my mother - but while the rebels were still a threat, it wasn't suitable for me to do so.

"I know who you think I am, but I am not." It felt like the lies were burning my throat.

I watched as the hope faded from not only Kenna's but everyone's eyes at the idea that I had returned.

"How..did you know her?" Kota asked, not even looking at me.

"I knew her after the Selection." Trying to keep my explanation brief as I didn't know how much they had been told - or what they had been told for that matter.

Everyone looked between each other, as if they didn't quite know what to say to me or Maxon. A silence filled the room which made me regret ever agreeing to visit this place.

"Mrs Singer, I am very sorry for the intrusion but I had only been recently made aware of America's passing and wanted to-"

"She loved you, didn't she?" May's quiet voice called from her corner.

I wanted to kick my sister so hard for bringing it up but to see the sadness on her face, I couldn't do anything. The room had fallen into an unbearable silence that I would do anything to break, yet I didn't. There was so much I didn't do in that room, in that moment. I could have done so much - revealed myself, lied and made up a story about how America had helped so many - but standing by the door, I couldn't do anything. It was though there was glass around me.

"May!" my mother called from the other side of the room.

Maxon was clearly shocked by the question and didn't know how to continue until Kenna spoke up.

"If I may ask, how is your family Your Highness?"

It had nothing to do with what Maxon had wanted, but I was so glad for Kenna's interjection.

Maxon also seemed relieved and spoke kindly about his family and told stories of the adventures his daughter had getting into recently. Although it may have been hard for my mother and sister because of the thoughts of what could have been, the rest of the family laughed and joined in with the conversation. Eventually, even May broke out of her sadness and joined in with the laughter.

But that was what my family had always done best, to find happiness in the darkest of situations. As I looked at Maxon, he seem so comfortable and at ease surrounded by my family. The family he nearly joined if it had not been for my stupid mistake.

And that was when I broke.

I left the room and walked away. I couldn't take any of it. Although it seemed as though I was weak, I had become so different that I didn't recognize who the real me was anymore. I could barely stand to be in the same room as my family or Maxon. As I walked outside, Andrew approached me with a grave expression on his face.

"We have a problem."

"When don't we?" I replied sarcastically, trying to ignore the darker voices in my head.

"It seems we have had a break in at the Castle prison."

"Did anyone escape?" I asked urgently, if Alexander had got out, my whole family was at risk.

"Well no..but..." It would have been clear even to a passing stranger that my assistant was trying hide something from me.

I looked at him in the eye, which lead to him revealing the truth- Andrew was a damn fine assistant, but he couldn't hide anything from me.

"It's Officer Ledger, he broke in and attacked Luca."

"You have got to be kidding me!"

 **Seven Years Ago**

I was so disorientated, Luca had placed a bag on my head as I had settled in the car so I hadn't a clue where I was. All I knew was that I was now in a dark, damp room with only a single flickering in the middle of the room. It was cold but I could hear the faint sound of a TV through the door on the other side of the room.

I could hear cheering but I didn't care why. I had lost everything I loved and my freedom in one day when I had been so happy just that morning. In a way, it was worse that death as I knew he hated me. He was going to be happy and live the happily ever after we - no he - had always wanted.

As I curled into a ball, a large bang came from the doorway making me jump to my feet. Bright light flooded into the room but most was blocked by a large figure - I never did find out their name. They pulled me out and shoved me in front of the small TV that was screaming at me. I was so close that it was hard to distinguish shapes or even read the headline at the bottom of the screen.

"How happy they look." Luca's voice called from across the room,"He never would have been this happy with you."

I had been able to make out Maxon and Kriss' smiling faces, while I was sitting on the chair beside them. I felt a single tear and as much as had tried to hide it - he saw. He knew my weakness and I could only imagine how he could use it against me.

He pulled my hair, so that my face was only inches from his.

"The lies that you told and all the chaos that you brought to his life, he will be happier without you. Your family will be happier with you." He whispered into my ear as I tried to ignore the headache he was causing.

And then it all went black.

 **Present Day**

After finding out that my former friend had attacked my enemy, I came to the conclusion that the visit was over. That and the fact that Andrew had received 5 calls from the King demanding his son came home that moment. Andrew had been talking with the troops and had tried to draw it out as much as possible.

It seemed that I couldn't leave that castle for more than 5 minutes before something dangerous occurred. I gingerly made my way back towards the sitting room where I could hear laughter. It reminded me of a dream that I used to have during my imprisonment, walking towards my family's door but never being close enough to open it.

Through the door I could hear everything.

"Thank you for allowing to live in this house, Prince Maxon."

"I had given it to America before the Selection was over, it seemed only right that her family recieve something for raising such a fine woman like her."

"When the letter arrived, we could hardly believe it!" That was May, clearly excited over the amazing place she got to grow up in.

The room suddenly went quiet before Maxon asked the question that I knew he had come here to ask.

"Mrs Singer, I know it is a difficult subject but ... how did you find out about America's..." He couldn't bring himself to finish that question.

"We had a guard come to our house about 5 years ago now. He told us that she had been found but had died shortly after. We - we hadn't heard anything from her since the Selection so it was...quite a shock."

"I'm so sorry" Although I couldn't see him, I could just imagine the sorry look he had on his face.

As I opened the door, the entire family stared at me - Maxon as well. For a moment, I knew they thought I was America and my cover had been blown. But today was not the day for that revelation.

"Your Highness, your father is requesting that you come back to the palace." I said with a sorry look on my face.

Even though I really wanted to leave this place, I got the impression that he didn't. As he stood up and said his goodbyes, a small girl walked towards me and tapped my leg. Bending down, I realized that it was my niece Astra (she looked just like her mother Kenna. Without a word the young girl gave me a flower with a giant smile across her face. Nervously, I took the flower before thanking her quietly.

"Thank you for keeping His Highness safe." She said before skipping back to her mother.

I smiled as I watched her take her place by her mother. I looked around to see that the entire family had gathered as though they were taking a picture. Each had a smiling face and were holding each other close - even Kota who hadn't been part of the family before. That had puzzled me, though the fact there was a blonde woman holding his hand gave me the impression that there was more to this than just him changing his mind and asking for forgiveness.

But as they all stood together, I realized that they were happy. They had each other and that put me at ease. As Maxon made his way out of the door, I stood there for a little while longer just looking at them. I bowed my head and turned towards the door to close it.

That was how I wanted to remember them as I didn't know when I'd see them again. They were happy and healthy - and I would be grateful for that for the rest of my life.


End file.
